Chevrolet has pledged more than once recently that it is ramping-up production of the Chevy Volt this year, but until it does, a few dealers are (surprise!) taking advantage of the high demand for our 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

Currently, the Buy It Now listing from the dealer in Michigan is priced at $46,923, while the California dealer has Volts starting at $47,700 for the Buy It Now price. We've done some sleuthing of our own beyond eBay and found prices even higher. A dealer in North Carolina says it bought a Volt from a Maryland dealer and is now listing the car at $49,000. If that’s not high enough, a dealer in Florida has a Volt that’s listed at $65,590.Before rebates and a potential government tax credit, the Volt starts at $41,000 and offers a few thousand dollars-worth of options like leather seats and a rear camera and park assist package.

The controversial Volt is serving as a high-profile halo car for Chevrolet. Dealers listing the cars on eBay could raise more awareness about the car, though it's not clear if the end result is more positive than negative. What do you think: Would you pay above the sticker price for a 2011 Chevrolet Volt?Source: Ward's Auto(NOTE: non-eBay prices are from a Motor Trend search of dealer listings)

I like free enterprise, so dealerships can negotiate with buyers the price they are willing to pay.
However, our government is offering a rebate to encourage the introduction of unproven green technology which lessens the impact of buying foreign oil.
So here is my change to the legislation.
For the first 200,000 units sold, you may receive up to a $7500 tax rebate on the purchase of the car. The rebate will be reduced by one dollar for every dollar above MSRP that is paid.
This will hopefully eliminate our neighbors having to subsidize the purchase of a car (for someone else) that really didn’t need a subsidy. Any tax break for one, increases the tax burden for everyone else. It really is a zero sum game (or should be if we stop borrowing 40 cents of every federal dollar spent).
I don’t think the rebate should be indirectly given back to the Chevy Dealers and indirectly to Government Motors, the taxpayers have already given them enough.
PS My volt arrives next month and I didn’t pay 20K over MSRP.

In the documentary - Who Killed The Electric Car - a very smart man said, " In the history of the world, every species that has not evolved has passed on ". The passage to the near-future evolution to electric transport is about mankind getting smarter and moving toward a sustainable future. It's not at all about global warming - as that is a debatable fact and perhaps the natural cycle of the planet. What it is about is breathing. Before you try to sound off about "tree huggers"...etc, try locking yourself in the garage with the engine running - and while you're slowly asphyxiating on carbon monoxide gas, you can think of your children and their children's children breathing clean air instead of diesel fuel filled with cancer causing particulates and smog that kills hundreds of thousands per year. Maybe if we shut of our old thinking, we'll be able to breathe in the 'burbs and city and not have to retreat to the woods or mountains to breathe clean air?
It's also about global peace. Have you turned on your TV lately? One hiccup on the Suez Canal and we pay 5 bucks per gallon for gas. One uprising, or one tyrannical nuke later, and we may all be history - setting off a chain of events you know means the end of human life as we know it. How much do you feel just one U.S. carrier group costs in the Persian Gulf to operate? We have three over there at any give time! How is that wise usage of our tax dollars? How priceless are the lives lost protecting Iraqi oil for U.S. interests ( oh, you thought we were in Iraq for WMDs or Iraqi democracy?! - I have a plot of swampland I'd love to sell ya! ).
All in all, even cavemen like Mr. Treehugger and Greenies here have to think about what an addiction to foreign oil does to us over the near and far term. It aint good, nor pretty no matter how you slice it. Alaskan oil reserves or near shore oil drilling ( "Drill baby drill" ) folks don't do the math. If the USA started pumping all possible oil from all Alaskan oil proposed fields - and if near shore drilling ( Gulf Coast - BP, now THERE'S a good idea y'all - unemployment, Exxon Valdez tainted salmon ring any bells, fella? ) tomorrow - it wouldn't put a dent in our current oil needs. Last I saw, there are no prospects for offshore and Alaskan oil to meet more than 6 percent of our current, not future needs. Plus new oil fields take 5 years to build - and Big Oil companies presently tell the press we don't have enough refineries to refine the crude we import now. A refinery takes 5 - 9 years to get up and running , AND NO ....ZERO NEW REFINERIES ARE ON THE BOOKS TO BE BUILT!!! In fact - careful research proves Big Oil companies are buying out small independent refineries AND CLOSING THEM DOWN. This - folks, is know as "price control".
If you want you and your children to be victims of foreign oil addiction and Big Oil price manipulation and record profits, go ahead and buy your RAM pickup and your Corvette and pay at the pump and in your lungs.
You see, the old arguments are just rot - Well-to-wheel shows even coal to car is less polluting and expensive than any oil, foreign or domestic. So you have to know your stuff.
Kinda makes the old greenie weenie argument seem stupid now, doesn't it?
In fact the hero is the guy who sees the future - embraces it - even gets solar and wind to charge his Volt so he is beholden to no man or government for his transportation needs from A to B. Go ahead and buy that performance ICE infernal combusted car for the weekends - but make a wise choice and stop bashing progress.

I bought one and love it... Great feeling to drive an AMERICAN CAR
that is well built and gives pride back tomour country. Paid sticker and
Leased it $443 a month with $3000 drive off great deal. have solar panels
On my roof and no longer pay for gas... I'm not paying attention... How
Much is oil a barrel these days
Respec to GM

Some folks still don't get it. The Volt is completely new. Where the Prius, the Fusion Hybrid, and Civic Hybrid are gasoline-powered ICE ( 19th century tech ) cars with an electric assist - the VOLT is the first electric car with a gasoline assist. ( the gas 1.4 litre ICE acting as a generator to run the 2 electric motors 90% of the time ) . People who quote Rush Limbaugh or some naive CNN reporter and call the Volt either "all-electric" or " a hybrid just like Prius" haven't been paying attention. You were the guys and gals who were throwing spit wads in class while the kids paying attention invented the Voltec drivetrain. It's unprecedented - no matter if you want to pay $33,000 after tax credit or not. It's not a Prius or Fusion - the Volt runs as a parallel hybrid some of the time, and a series hybrid at others. The big "surprise" was that GM engineers chose to let the ICE kick in and partially drive the drive wheels after 70 mph while in CS mode ( that's when the 16 kwh battery is over 68% depleted. GM says that decision made a 15% improvement on efficiency in that mode. So you complain?!!!
The price gouging will stop as GM has recently announced an increase in both production ( American UAW workers in Hamtramck, MI build the Volt! Yay USA ) and rollouts will begin faster in many states. Second tier rollout states start as early as April, and all 50 state distribution by the end of the year. So the gouger dealers better make their rip off hay while the sun shines. After that, you and I will be able to buy a Volt anywhere and barter for price just like for any other car - and those dealers hopefully will be avoided like the plague by smart folks who don't put up with price-gouging numbskulls.
2nd gen Volts ( Voltec platform vehicles ) will most certainly be less expensive and the early buyers will pay a premium to have the best - first. 2nd gen batteries will be lighter and more power dense - thus a smaller pack means more efficient and less money - get it? As we speak, Ford, along with GM have added numerous engineers and facilities to work on improving lithium ion technology for the second round.
Until then - don't speak before you educate yourself - unless you want to sound like an idiot. BEVs like Nissan LEAF and Ford Focus EV have an extreme disadvantage, although clean and cool - they are extreme niche vehicles with 80 miles of real world range - best for city cars and 2nd or 3rd car commuters.
No other car does what Volt does. None ever has. Volt stands alone. For some with deep pockets, being the first in the neighborhood is worth a bit of a premium. Volt can drive 40 - 50 miles ( I've seen journalists brag they got 57 miles all-electric ) from Volt - then the gas engine acts like a generator and propels the electrically-driven wheels another 300-370 miles. No worries! So how is that NOT revolutionary?!

Really mrtoyota. Are you that stupid to think this is the first car to cost over that much. I know people that own new luxury cars costing more than 65k that and can barely afford to put food on the table. Trust me they took out a massive loan knowing they couldnt afford it and their jobs werent stable. People do it all the time welcome to the world we live in, now crawl out from under you rock and realize not everybody is smart enough to know when they can't afford something. Also many coments also point out that the people mainly buying the Volt at that price will most likely be celebrities trying to boost there eco image (another sad truth about the world we live in).

Many good points. Paying a premium for ANY new product that is in short supply seems to me to be a waste of money. As the supply catches up to demand the value of the item will decrease. In the cast of an automobile, that will already deprecate greatly in the 1st few years (in most cases) this will just be even more dramatic. Is this a cool car, yes. Is it a 41,000 car, I am not sure, I have not driven one, as most of you. So you may want to wait to condemn this car. The fact is that this is the 1st of its kind, NO OTHER car in world is powered like the Volt. The only way that a dealer can get over the MSRP on any car is that someone is willing to pay it. And if the automobile is in short supply that just means you have to wait or order from a dealer that is selling at MSRP just because they think it’s good business. Some of you are looking for Chevy to fix this issue, the issue is not a Chevy problem, it’s is a consumer problem. This is no different than people who wait in long lines for a new iphone or similar product, I have never understood that kind of need to have it now attitude any way. BTW a person buying one of these cars could just turn around a sell it on their own for whatever they think they can get of it and keep the 7500 tax credit. And for the person: Who is having an issue with “7500.00 on my tax money is being confiscated” Please remember the tax credit of 7500.00 belongs to the tax payer not paying the tax. You are a weak minded person who has been brainwashed into thinking that money belongs to the government. Cash for Clunkers was giving away your tax money.
Just saying.

List price--especially when that much over MSRP--doesn't mean jack. What are they SELLING for? I see lots of condos here in South Florida that have list prices for X dollars but comps are selling for 40% less. Anyone can ASK whatever they want. What they GET is often something else.
Considering that $7500 of my tax money is forcibly confiscated to hand out to Volt buyers (like those looking to spend $40K plus on a car need any handout), I hope that very few Volts are sold. Let GM build a business model around cars that do not need taxpayer handouts to purchase.

Of course people don't want this car to succeed. There to busy supporting and buyin foreign cars. Lucky for them enough people still support the big 3 to keep this economy goin. They can have there japcars. By the way. Gms giving there workers 4000 ford 5000 and Chrysler 750 in profit sharing which in turn will most likly get pumped back into The economy. How much are these Made in America foreign car autoworkers getting. You tell me what companies are better for the united states. And americans want to see American companies succeed. Says alot about the people that post on these websites.

Wow, most of the people commenting here are in serious need of an economics class. Supply and demand people, google it.
Just because you hate (or are jealous of) the Volt/GM, doesn't mean that the dealers can't do this. If you don't want to pay over sticker price for the Volt, you don't have to. Thank goodness we live in a free country, right?
EVERY new model year vehicle from ANY manufacturer does this. As an example, a local dealership a couple years ago had a new GTR on their showroom floor marked up about $30k over sticker price.
GM should in no way 'step in' and force the dealers to not mark up their vehicles. If they start doing that, then they could also not allow the dealers to sell BELOW the sticker price. How much would we all complain then?
The dealers own these vehicles. If they want to try to get more out of them, they're allowed. Sure they might not sell it, and sure they might get crazy with it ($65k? come on!), but that is their choice. Something tells me that a $5k markup won't matter to a few people and although we think they're getting screwed, they probably don't care.

I was eagerly anticipating the Volt but once I found the dealers were gouging the (asdlfkjadfkj) out of their customers it was a big turn-off. I doubt I'll go back to look at the Volt and the greedy folks dealing them... There will be some pretty cool new EVs coming out from different manufacturers in the next couple of years and they will probably have a greater driving range then the Volt and be cheaper. GM will probably miss their chance to be the big mover in the space? due to their policies... ? So best to wait just a bit and pick up one of the better cheap, but with better specs cars?

Some short sighted, biased people obviously don't want to see this car succeed for some reason. The fact of the matter is this price gouging is proof that this car is highly desired. It's going to be a smashing success, and it will lead GM and our country into a new golden age in which we are no longer dependant on countries with oil reserves. Our economy has needed this for a long time. Bravo to GM for making it happen.

Ok wait a minute, I can explain the price gouging, Dec 2010 326 Volt's sold, in Jan 2011 321 Volt's sold. So few Volt's are being sold you naturally have to jack up the price. More expensive = more sales. Will the Volt make it to a 2012 model year? Maybe a bunch of buyers will win on those lottery scratchers & start buying Volt's in droves along with that Verizon iPhone 4. Hummmm doesn't the iPhone 5 come out in a few months?

Hey GM, I just checked on eBay & I see you haven't demanded eBay to pull those over MSRP listings on those two Volt's. Or contact those dealers & have them pull those listings. Are you going to get on this on 2/17/11? I'll check again tomorrow & see. Unless you are a bunch of liars.

GM is on a roll. A 59% mark up on a Volt? If demand is that high these cars are going to fly off the show room floor. I hope they can keep up with demand so that the price of this technology can drop with maturity :D

Your right it's not a new technology,but it's how it's all set up.
No other electric/gas hybrid uses the engine as a generator.
It's not the most technological marvel of a car,but seriously read up on it before you spurt out idiotic statements.

Ok this is madness, GM if you really dont want to look like money hungry assholes you would make it a clause with your dealerships to offer the best price someone is willing to pay without markups. For instance you have one Volt on your lot at a list of 41K and someone wants it so bad that the offer more than the list price to prevent the person looking at it from snatching it up then all is fine and dandy. But I think in a years time when Ford is selling a plug in hybrid and Toyota is selling more models of the Prius and Hyundai and and Honda jump on board with 30K plugins all those Chevy Volt crazies will feel like fools. And its sad to know that GM knowing they are new to a game others have been at for years, 10 years in Toyotas case it sad to know that they are allowing their customer base to over pay for a car soon to be obsolete. And lets not forget that GM was completely forthcoming about this car in the beginning. It was supposed to be an Electric car with a gasoline engine as a generator, to maximize it electric rang to almost be unlimited. When I read reviews on how these guys are traveling 15-30 miles under electric power then using its whimpy gas engine to power this car is laughable. Its great to know they are the first major american car company to aim high and release something others havent. But its sad to know they sold themselves and consumers short by not sticking to the game plan. And I bet you that Toyota or maybe even Ford is going to do what GM said it was going to do with the Volt and BOOM the Volt hype will be dead. I give this car 12-18 months of spotlight time then it will be religated to an over priced hybrid that just doesnt perform as good as it could. Kinda like most of GM's cars. Revolutionary for a short time.

These markups are the same problem that afflicted most "exciting" cars the manufacturers have produced. They forces Saturn to have no markup for most of their years, they can control this. Not that I like these cars, but the greed of the dealerships could be the end of it.

This car makes me sick. It is such an over-hyped piece of trash. Sure their are some cool technologies in it, but why so much build-up? Nissan didn't do that with the Leaf, Ford didn't with the Focus Plug-in... I just don't get it!

The only people who will buy the car at that price are not the people who actually want to save money. It'll be the global warming and tree huggers who think they'll actually be making a difference (when they're not) and also celebrities who want that "green" image. I would never buy it at that price. I would rather buy a Prius and a Camaro or Corvette over that.

$65k?
simple, because there are people who are willing to pay that much.
its not your money so why bother?
better and easier to sell 1 volt and take a profit of $25k than going through the hassle of selling 25 of them and netting the same profit.

are you kidding me? toyota doesn't have anyone in their corner right now. i am happy american manufacturers are getting stronger and that includes any of the foreign companies building here in the u.s. too. everyone in this country should buy something built in the usa if they care about job security and creation.

And people are just hating on this car because it got a chevy badge on it. There still mad they didn't go belly up and are paying back there money. If it had a Toyota logo on it everyone would be jumpin for joy. But just remember if it wasn't for the big 3 surviving you or someone you love wouldn't have a job. So happy to see the American automanufacturers coming back strong and keepin the most important class. The middle class alive. Without them we would still be in a recession

Well since it's not offered in Florida until next year, I can see why it would go for $65K. But other than that, I wouldn't pay a cent over it's list price since it's already so pricey to begin with.
And "Ram150005", provide a list of comparable (large) compact hatches that include power locks and windows, keyless start, USB radio, bluetooth phone, and an OnStar smartphone app for $15K. I'd even settle for the $20K you mentioned.
That's what I thought.
The Cruze, which is the Volt's platform mate, can barely be had for under $20K because it comes loaded with features that previously would have cost extra, and it's a much more substantial car than most of the competition. Now add all the tech of the Volt and it's development costs that have to be ammortized over each model and find a comparable car for $15K or $20K.
No, I wouldn't pay a penny over MSRP, but that kind of comment is just plain ignorant.

Seriously, this tactic is going to knock any possible "halo" from the Volt among US auto consumers. It was overpriced to begin with, and now it'll likely be crossed off the list because GM dealers are all too eager to further gouge any potential buyers. This car will now be an enormous flop.

well in florida obviously people will pay big money for a car that's going to be the next prius. i'm sorry to say this with how much i like the volt but it's going to just be a celebrity fashion an eco-mentalist statement...